1. #CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Although it seems like an eternity since the Champions League group stages ended, the wait is finally over.
A Gareth Bale-less Spurs travel to Milan to take on AC later on this evening, while last year’s Bundesliga runners-up Schalke are headed to Valencia.
Check back at around 7pm when we’ll be kicking off another of our massively entertaining liveblogs.
2. #FORE! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that Tiger Woods actually enjoys negative publicity. The former world number one landed himself in hot water again at the weekend for spitting on a green during the Dubai Desert Classic.
Neil Cullen should be along any minute now with his weekly golf column to fill you in on all the phlegmy details from the weekend’s action in Dubai and California.
3. #ARTISTIC MERIT Ireland may have been bitterly disappointed with Sunday’s result but at least Jamie Heaslip will be able to take his mind of the defeat by gazing at his latest piece of art.
The Kanye-inspired creator? None other than Cian Healy …
4. #GRAND NATIONAL It may still be eight weeks away, but we’re already keeping an eye on how the 2011 John Smith’s Grand National will shape up.
The weights are due to be announced this morning at 11:30, but Aintree have embraced the Twitter and will be revealing the top five weights online a half-hour before that. Jolly good.
5. #EUROPA LEAGUE We’d hate to be accused of anti-Europa league bias, so here’s a quick reminder that Manchester City’s “European adventure” also continues tonight when they face Aris Salonika.
Tevez and Balotelli have travelled to Greece while James Milner is out after picking up an injury in Saturday’s Manchester derby.
6. #BRAWL Just in case you missed this yesterday, the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to engage in a good old-fashioned set-to on Friday night rather than playing ice hockey as scheduled.
Apparently, the 346 minutes of penalties which they racked up between them isn’t even an NHL record. That dubious honour goes to the Philadelphia Flyers and the Ottawa Senators who accumulated 419 penalty minutes in March 2004.
I’m not 100% sure how they managed that, but this video will probably give us some indication. Parts II and III (!) are here and here.
